Motion stable camera support system

Abstract

A portable camera support system (10) has a tubular main support body (14) extending along a generally vertical axis between an upper end (18) and a lower end (16) for movably supporting a motion picture camera (12). The support system (10) is adapted for operational use supporting the camera (12) in both a lower camera mode of operation and an upper camera mode of operation. In the lower mode, a camera yoke assembly (54) is pivotally coupled to the lower end (16) of the main support body (14) and maintained at the lowermost position. The yoke assembly (54) is adapted to pivotally support the camera (12) about its sides and thus eliminate the traditional base mounting. A power supply assembly (38) and operator handle (48) are supported along the length of the main support body (14). The system (10) is balanced so that the handle (48) is aligned with the center of gravity of the components. A camera cage support system (104) also supports the camera (12) from the sides without need for a base support. The support cage (104) is fitted with connecting pins (130) for attachment with support rods (150) and brackets (106) to support the camera (12). Specialized clamps (165) are used with the support cage (104) and associated hardware.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A positionally adjustable side mounting arrangement in combination with a movable dynamic image camera having a body with top, bottom and side surfaces and an optical axis extending in a front-to-back direction within the body, the mounting comprising: a pair of first coupling moieties fixedly carried by respective side surfaces of the body and disposed in alignment with a mount axis which lies between the body top and bottom surfaces and is substantially normal to the optical axis, each first coupling moiety having a contoured surface which is cooperable with a similarly contoured mating surface of a related second coupling moiety and having plural discrete stable angular mated relations with the second coupling moiety about the mount axis.   
     
     
       2. A mounting arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the first and second coupling moieties comprises a pair of mateable elements having cooperating surface features defining a plurality of stable positions of one element angularly relative to the other element. 
     
     
       3. A positionally adjustable mounting arrangement in combination with a movable dynamic image camera which has a body with top, bottom and opposite side surfaces and an optical axis which extends in a front-to-back direction within the camera body, the mounting comprising: a pair of first coupling moieties and a pair of second coupling moieties which have plural angularly discrete stable matable relations with the first moieties, the first coupling moieties being affixed to the opposite sides of the body in alignment with each other along a mount axis which lies between the body top and bottom surfaces and which is substantially normal to the optical axis,   the second coupling moieties being mountable to spaced portions of a desired camera support for mating contact with the first coupling moieties.     
     
     
       4. A mounting arrangement in combination with a movable dynamic image camera which has a body with top, bottom and opposite side surfaces and an optical axis which extends through the body in a front-to-back direction within the camera body, the mounting comprising: a pair of first coupling moieties and a pair of second coupling moieties which are stably matable with the first moieties, the first coupling moieties being affixed to the opposite sides of the body,   the second coupling moieties being mountable to spaced portions of a desired camera support for mating contact with the first coupling moieties, and   a fastener cooperable with each set of first and second coupling moieties operable to secure the moieties of the set in mated contact with each other.     
     
     
       5. A positionally adjustable mounting arrangement in combination with a movable dynamic image camera which has a body with top, bottom and opposite side surfaces and an optical axis which extends through the body in a front-to-back direction within the camera body, the mounting arrangement comprising: a pair of pivot joint members affixed respectively to opposite sides of the camera body in alignment along a pivot axis which is substantially normal to the optical axis, the pivot joint members being releasably securable to spaced portions of a desired camera support to be secure from motion about the pivot axis in a manner which applies no appreciable loads to the camera body along the pivot axis.   
     
     
       6. A mounting arrangement according to claim 5 in which each pivot joint member defines a component of a releasable fastener connection by which the pivot joint member can be clamped relative to the respective portion of the camera support. 
     
     
       7. A mounting arrangement according to claim 6 in which the releasable fastener connection is a threaded fastener connection. 
     
     
       8. A mounting arrangement according to claim 5 in which each pivot joint member comprises a member which, as mounted to the camera, has a surface facing away from the camera in which are defined a tapped hole and a plurality of alternating crests and valleys extending radially from the hole. 
     
     
       9. A mounting arrangement according to claim 5 including a camera mount yoke having a pair of spaced and coaxially aligned camera support portions with which the pivot joint members are supportively engageable in a selected stable angular relation of the camera relative to the yoke about the pivot axis. 
     
     
       10. A mounting arrangement according to claim 9 including a camera support post, and a releasable yoke pivot connection between an end of the post and the camera mount yoke at a location on the yoke which is centrally between the yoke camera support portions, the yoke pivot connection having a pivot axis disposed substantially parallel to the pivot axis through the camera body. 
     
     
       11. A mounting arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the camera is electrically powered and including an electrical storage battery mounted to the post in spaced relation to the yoke, and a manually engageable load carrying handle secured to the post between the battery and the yoke by which a camera operator can support and carry the arrangement. 
     
     
       12. A mounting arrangement according to claim 11 in which the arrangement has a center of gravity located between the camera and the battery, and the handle is adjustably securable to the post for location as desired along the post relative to the arrangement center of gravity, including substantially above the center of gravity and substantially at the center of gravity. 
     
     
       13. A mounting arrangement according to claim 5 including a camera mount yoke having spaced camera support portions between which the camera is supported via the pivot joint members for rotation about the pivot axis, and a motor operatively connected between the yoke and the camera for rotating the camera about the pivot axis. 
     
     
       14. A hand carryable portable support system for a dynamic image camera, the camera support system comprising: an elongate main support member extending along a principal axis between a first end and a second end;   a first attachment end connected to the first end of the main support member;   a second attachment end connected to the second end of the main support member;   a handle connectible to the main support member at a selected variable location along the length of the main support member for hand-held support and carriage of the system;   a power supply secured to the main support member at a selected variable location along the length of the main support member and electrically connectible with a camera supported by the support system; and   a camera support yoke coupled to the second attachment end through a first adjustable and fixable pivot joint having a first pivot axis which is generally perpendicular to the principal axis, the support yoke having opposing spaced yoke arms adapted at ends thereof for adjustable and fixable pivotable connection with a supported camera along a second pivot axis disposed parallel to the first pivot axis;   wherein a supported camera connected to the yoke via the second pivot axis may be tilted about the second pivot axis and the yoke may be pivoted at the first pivot joint about the first pivot axis with respect to the main support member to establish a desired positional relation between the first axis and the center of mass of the yoke and of the camera and related devices supported in the yoke.   
     
     
       15. A portable camera support system according to claim 14, and further comprising a camera pivotally connected to each of the opposing yoke arm ends through a pair of fixable second pivot joints, each of said second pivot joints including a pivot joint member mounted to a respective side of the camera body along said second pivot axis. 
     
     
       16. A portable camera support system according to claim 15 wherein each of said first and second pivot joints comprises a pair of mateable elements having cooperating surface features defining a plurality of stable positions of one element angularly relative to the other element. 
     
     
       17. A portable support system according to claim 14, and further comprising a camera support base for connection with a base of a supported camera, said support base having opposing sides, each of said opposing sides and the yoke arm ends comprising the second pivot joints. 
     
     
       18. A portable camera support system according to claim 14 wherein the main support member may be oriented with a supported camera in an upper position for a first camera operation and with the camera in a lower position for a second camera operation. 
     
     
       19. A portable support system according to claim 14, and further comprising at least one motor operatively associated with the second pivot axis for angularly displacing about the second pivot axis a camera supported by the yoke arms. 
     
     
       20. A camera support cage for receiving a camera and for mounting the camera to a support structure, the camera support cage comprising a first generally U shaped frame member having a pair of spaced distally extending first legs to each of which is mounted a corresponding one of a pair of coaxially aligned and opposing pivot joint elements;   a second generally U shaped frame member having a pair of spaced distally extending second legs which are substantially perpendicular to the first legs and the ends of which are attached to a respective first leg;   camera mounting means cooperable with the pivot joint elements for supporting a camera between the first and second frame member legs and affording pivotal movement of the supported camera about the axis on which the pivot joint elements are aligned.   
     
     
       21. A camera support cage according to claim 20 and further comprising a base plate carrying a pair of further pivot joint elements cooperable respectively with a corresponding pivot joint element on the respective first frame member, and wherein said base plate is conventionally connectible to the base of a supported camera for supporting the camera within the support cage. 
     
     
       22. A camera support cage according to claim 20 in combination with a plurality of attachment devices which are fixedly connectable to the support structure, and a plurality of structural connections connectable between the camera support cage and the attachment devices. 
     
     
       23. A camera support cage according to claim 22 wherein the structural connections include tubular members, structural connecting pins securable to the cage, and swivelable and fixable couplings cooperable between the tubular members and the connecting pins. 
     
     
       24. A camera support cage according to claim 22 wherein the support structure is a vehicle. 
     
     
       25. A clamp assembly, useful in the motion picture industry, comprising first and second clamp arms hingeably connected to each other at respective first ends of the arms and defining at opposite second end portions cooperating jaw configurations adapted at the ends thereof for gripping opposite sides of a nontubular article and adapted adjacent to and inwardly from the ends for gripping a tubular article, an externally threaded shaft extending loosely through the first clamp arm into engagement with an internally threaded element carried by the second arm intermediate its ends for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of the hingeable connection between the arms, an actuating handle carried by the shaft adjacent the first arm and defining a shoulder abuttable with a surface on the second arm which faces away from the second arm, there being at least one structural connecting pin of baby pin configuration and dimensions connected to the clamp assembly in spaced relation to the hingeable connection between the clamp arms. 
     
     
       26. A clamp assembly according to claim 25 in which the structural connecting pin defines the actuating handle. 
     
     
       27. A clamp assembly according to claim 25 in which the structural connecting pin is connected to the second clamp arm and extends therefrom in a direction away from the first clamp arm.